Washington Democrats would rather keep kids trapped in failing schools than let parents make their own choices—because nothing says “equity” like forced mediocrity.

Democrats Say ‘No’ to Kids, ‘Yes’ to Failing Schools—Again

More than 2,600 people backed a bill in Olympia to create Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) for low-income and special needs students, but Democrats are already working to kill it. Rep. Travis Couture (R) pointed out that Washington’s public schools are delivering their worst reading and math scores in 30 years, despite some of the highest per-pupil spending in the nation. Naturally, Democrats and their union backers insist on doubling down on this disaster, claiming school choice would somehow harm public schools—because letting parents actually choose is apparently too dangerous.

Meanwhile, ESA programs are thriving in other states, giving families real options while improving student outcomes. A whopping 75% of Americans support ESAs, but in Washington, Democrats prefer to protect their broken education system rather than help students escape it. At the hearing, multiple speakers cited evidence that school choice improves achievement, but Chair Sharon Tomiko-Santos (D) had enough of those pesky facts and cut off testimony.

Democrats falsely claim that ESAs would only benefit rich families—ignoring that this bill is specifically for low-income and special needs students. Unsurprisingly, the bill isn’t scheduled for a vote yet, because Democrats know that if parents actually had a say, their government-run monopoly on failure might collapse. Read more at Center Square.

Turns Out Supporting Police Actually Reduces Crime—Who Knew?

Who would’ve thought? When you actually support law enforcement instead of undermining them at every turn, crime goes down and staffing levels go up—Bellevue is proving it. Thanks to strong community backing (and some good old-fashioned cash incentives), the Bellevue Police Department made a net gain of 17 officers, filling nearly all of its budgeted positions. Meanwhile, crime in the city continues to drop, with an overall 6% decrease in 2024, though shoplifters are still having their fun. Fewer crimes mean fewer calls for service, but response times remain solid, with officers arriving at emergencies in just over three and a half minutes. Even Seattle, after years of disastrous anti-police policies, had to cave and jack up hiring bonuses to get officers back on the streets. So, attention Democrats: Turns out defunding, demonizing, and demoralizing cops wasn’t such a brilliant idea after all. Read more at Center Square.

Spokane’s Overdose Crisis Worsens

In truly heartbreaking news, it appears that Spokane County’s overdose crisis continues to spiral out of control, with deaths up 15% from last year and fentanyl responsible for 78% of 2024’s fatalities. Since 2019, overdose deaths have surged nearly 300%, coinciding with a massive increase in homelessness—yet another consequence of failed policies. Despite these shocking numbers, the reality is that most victims aren’t homeless but rather working individuals, proving that the fentanyl flood isn’t just a street problem—it’s everywhere. And why wouldn’t it be? When Democrats threw open the border, they invited cartel-driven drug trafficking to flourish, unleashing a crisis that Spokane’s first responders can barely keep up with. Now, as enforcement struggles to contain the chaos, the city is left to brace for an even deadlier 2025. Here’s to hoping real solutions prevent more tragedies. Read more at KHQ.

Democrats to Voters: Shut Up and Obey

As Shift WA previously reported, Washington Democrats are moving to gut the state’s voter initiative process with Senate Bill 5382, a bill designed to make citizen-led initiatives nearly impossible. The bill forces signature gatherers to certify, under penalty of perjury, that every signature is valid, that no signer received compensation, and that all information matches voter registration—an impossible standard to meet. As KTTH’s Jason Rantz writes in a recent op-ed, that essentially means Democrats are setting up a bureaucratic obstacle course so absurd it might as well require signature gatherers to read minds. The same party that called signature verification on ballots “racist” now insists that voter initiatives should live or die by address-matching nitpicks. Rantz rightfully points out that this blatant power grab isn’t about “integrity”—it’s about shutting down a process that has repeatedly upended their unpopular policies. Democrats don’t want voters getting in the way of their agenda, so they’re making sure grassroots efforts are drowned in red tape. If they listened to voters instead of silencing them, they wouldn’t have to keep rewriting the rules to maintain control. But make no mistake—this is about crushing citizen participation, and Washingtonians should see it for the undemocratic farce it is. Read Rantz’s full op-ed here.

Must-Listen Podcasts: Travis Couture on Budget Battles & Skyler Rude on Education Reforms

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